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PALMIPEDES. 



swallowing some small fish, and continuing its coni'se as 

 before. Often, when the sea is calm, a cruising painty oi 

 Terns comes in sight. Their course is less direct than in 

 the instance last mentioned, as they seem to hunt after 

 the fashion of spaniels. Suddenly one of the party arrests 

 its flight, hovers for a moment, like a hawk, and descends 

 as if shot, making a splash in the water. If unsuccessful, 

 it rises at once; but if it has captured the object at which 

 it aimed, it remains floating on the sea, till it has got rid 

 of its victim by the summary process of swallowing it. 

 Terns are by no means shy ; they wull frequently fly 

 directly over a boat, uttering from time to time a short 

 sci'eam, which, though not melodious, is in strict keeping 

 with the scene around, harmonizing well with the dashing 

 of the billows and the nmsic of the breeze. 



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